Taiwan research trip June 2013 - RNA failure!

It had been a frustrating three days in the lab! I was trying to extract the RNA from the coral tissue since I was back in Taipei. However, every time I tested the integrity of the sample RNA (after a whole day's work on extraction!), it failed. The results were that the RNA had degraded! After three long, frustrating days to troubleshoot what went wrong, we came to the conclusion - it was the method which we used to remove the coral tissue that degraded the RNA! As a result, all the samples which I had done in Kenting (which I used the same coral tissue removal method) could not be used to analyse the heat shock protein (hsp) in the coral RNA... Well.. that sucks!

I was worried that this might happen, thus, I had decided that I need another physiological marker for coral stress indicator - the photosynthetic yield from the DivingPAM. The data from the DivingPAM looked fine (keeping fingers crossed) so far (I only finished half the data analyses). However, in terms of Experiment 1, the failure to be able to run qPCR on the coral RNA hsp meant that I would not have any molecular bioindicator for coral stress :(

Not the end of the World (keep telling myself that). I still have results. Now, just have to move on to do other stuffs - microbe DNA extraction, HPLC etc. Next, I will have to ask around to find a sure-proof way of coral tissue removal in the field to ensure the integrity of RNA.

I guess that's what experiments are about!... RNA!  >=(

I splurged on dinner to make myself feel better...
Dinner -
Beef noodle soup, side-dishes (no idea what they were!...recommendation from the shop)
Cost NZD 6 (NT 120)

Beef noodle soup

Side dishes